Number of solar installations is increasing significantly
More and more electricity from photovoltaic systems flows into households, businesses, and the power grid. While solar modules are produced less and less in this country, their use is increasing significantly.
More and more companies and private households are using solar energy for power generation: In April of this year, around 3.4 million photovoltaic systems were installed in Germany, 29.8% more than in the previous year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. In 2023, therefore, almost 12% of the electricity feed-in came from photovoltaics - a new record.
The 3.4 million systems produced a total of around 81,500 Megawatt-hours of electricity in April, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The number of systems increased by 29.8% compared to the previous year, and the installed capacity by 20.5%. All photovoltaic systems that feed into the public power grid and have a power meter are recorded in the statistics. Smaller systems, such as those commonly referred to as "balcony power plants," are usually not included.
Among the power producers are 1.8 million private households, approximately one in twenty in Germany. However, they earn less money due to declining feed-in tariffs: In 2022, they earned an average of 183 Euro in revenue per month from the self-produced solar power, which is about a third less than seven years ago.
Domestic production is declining significantly
According to the reports, around 53.6 million Megawatt-hours of solar power were fed into the grid in the year 2023, which was 11.9% of the total electricity fed in. In 2022, the share was 10.6%. The record month for solar power in Germany, according to statistics, was June 2023: More than a quarter (27.3%) of the electricity fed in came from solar systems.
The majority of solar panels and solar cells installed in this country come from China. In the previous year, 86.4% of all solar cells and solar modules came from the People's Republic. After China came the Netherlands with 5.4%, and Vietnam with 2.6%. The value of imported photovoltaic systems amounted to approximately 3.6 billion Euro.
However, the production of solar modules and solar collectors for photovoltaic systems in Germany is declining. In the previous year, 3.4 million solar modules were produced here, which was about 13% less than the previous year. For solar collectors, which convert solar radiation into heat energy, the decline was 28.4% to 192,000 units. In the first quarter of 2024, the production of modules and collectors fell further - by 52.8% for modules and 67.1% for collectors compared to the previous year.
The shift towards renewable energy sources, particularly solar energy, is significantly impacting the economy. In 2023, photovoltaic systems accounted for almost 12% of the electricity feed-in, a new record, indicating a growing reliance on solar energy as a primary source of power supply. Despite a decline in domestic production, imported solar panels and modules from countries like China continue to play a crucial role in the expansion of renewable energy systems, such as solar systems.
